Occupy Wall Street Day 13 – Rebel Or Slave – Boston San Francisco Too

“Either you are a rebel or a slave.” “Why is life a bitch? Cause we don’t tax the rich!” The protests have spread to San Francisco and Boston. People are fed up, and our government has refused to hold Wall Street and the banksters accountable. Seriously, is there anyone who doesn’t support what they’re doing – I mean, anyone who isn’t on Wall Street or in their pocket?

Such was the chant of the nearly 200 San Franciscans who surrounded the Bank of America building in the center of the Financial District Thursday afternoon to rally against bank bailouts and the country’s uneven tax structure. The rally was a west coast offshoot of the “Occupy Wall Street” protests that have continued in New York City for nearly two weeks.

Let us also be clear that, when approached as individuals, members of the NYPD have expressed solidarity with our cause. It has been inspiring to receive this support. Over these thirteen days, we have learned that no one supports corporations’ disproportionate influence in the political sphere. We have learned that no one is in favor of evicting struggling families to the street while banks continue to profit. No one, that is, except the corporations and banks. We urge members of the NYPD to remain in solidarity with our cause. These men and women could lose their pensions and benefits during the next round of budget cuts. We ask that members of the NYPD treat all peaceful human beings with respect and care. This will be a great step towards reclaiming power for the working class. Those who profit off the suffering of others will held accountable. We are the 99%, and we are too big to fail.

Tonight we march to One Police Plaza.

From Around The Blogosphere

Hedre is some of the coverage to go check out:

Chris Hedges writes, “Either you are a rebel or a slave” over at Truthdig: The Best Among Us,

There are no excuses left. Either you join the revolt taking place on Wall Street and in the financial districts of other cities across the country or you stand on the wrong side of history. Either you obstruct, in the only form left to us, which is civil disobedience, the plundering by the criminal class on Wall Street and accelerated destruction of the ecosystem that sustains the human species, or become the passive enabler of a monstrous evil. Either you taste, feel and smell the intoxication of freedom and revolt or sink into the miasma of despair and apathy. Either you are a rebel or a slave.

Crooks and Liars: C&L Readers Dig Deep For Protester Pizzas, “We raised over $1000 in the first two hours. Tons of small donations – $2 or $3 to buy someone they’ve never met a slice. It’s humbling. I’m impressed.”

The nearly two week occupation of a New York park near Wall Street known as Occupy Wall Street, initially undertaken by a few, has grown into a significant mobilization of people. The action should not have to be anything more than what it is at face value. The presence of hundreds if not thousands of Americans confronting a beast, whose greed, recklessness and illegal acts resulted in the collapse of the US economy, should not be something Americans show cynicism toward. Yet, some of the most politically engaged individuals are timid when it comes to the opening hundreds of young Americans have created.

Generating attention to an issue that the Beltway wants to go away, building support among disparate groups the old-fashioned way, supporting local workers who might otherwise feel isolated, and breathing oxygen into alternative outlets. The OWS movement has been racking up some really important successes. What’s not to like?

Trumka is not by himself able to offer the formal endorsement of the AFL-CIO, which is a federation of unions, each of which has a voice in decisions like that; accordingly, he doesn’t offer that in these comments. However, he is the most prominent labor leader in the country, and with a number of unions planning to join in with some Occupy Wall Street activities, Trumka’s public affirmation of both the target of Wall Street and the tactic of street protest is another step in the connections growing between the protesters and the union movement.

Some of New York City’s largest unions and community groups are joining the “Occupy Wall Street” protests. For three weeks a core group of 200 to 300 people have kept a constant vigil on Wall Street to hold the financial industry accountable for the schemes and reckless games that led to the economic collapse. (Follow the action on Twitter with the hashtag #occupyWallStreet.) You can support the protestors by donating so they can buy pizzas to keep up their campaign. To donate, click here.

This morning, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka expressed support for the protests. Earlier this week, more than 700 uniformed pilots, members of the Air Line Pilots (ALPA) , took to the streets outside of Wall Street demanding better pay.

About Dave Johnson

Dave has more than 20 years of technology industry experience. His earlier career included technical positions, including video game design at Atari and Imagic. He was a pioneer in design and development of productivity and educational applications of personal computers. More recently he helped co-found a company developing desktop systems to validate carbon trading in the US.